Friday, August 31, 2012

I remember the first summer that Brian and I started entertaining as a couple. We bought steaks and corn to put on the grill and were discussing what to serve alongside. I suggested a potato salad and he immediately launched into a litany of all the things wrong with most potato salads. He complained that the dressings are always bland and that there are never enough ingredients mixed in with the potatoes. I told him that I grew up with a mother who always put lots of "stuff" into her potato salad and that I was up to the task.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Today I have the pleasure of guest posting for my favorite lunatic, Kim Bee from Cravings of a Lunatic. Kim is always hysterical to read and her food is wonderfully decadent. But deciding what to make for her was daunting. She's a self-confessed very picky eater and unless it was ice cream or chocolate turtles, the chances of appealing to her were slim.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Let's discuss a delicious and refreshing summertime cocktail. No, wait. First let's discuss a minor life annoyance. You go to a restaurant and order a chilled beverage such as iced tea or coffee. It arrives unsweetened along with a dish of various packets of sweetening options but you just know they will not blend perfectly. In some of the finer restaurants, the problem is resolved for you as your beverage arrives accompanied by a little jug of simple syrup. That elegant solution insures a perfect blend of sweetener to beverage but...what if I don't want actual sugar? What if I'd like to choose a sugar alternative? Back to the dish of packets we go...

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Brian and I are off to the coast of Maine for a vacation. We fell in love with the area a couple of years ago and didn't even want to come home. Somehow we fought the urge to chuck it all and sell lobster rolls on the beach but it remains to be seen how we do this time!

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

As we wind down our celebrations of National Peach Month we look back to all the delightful peachy creations we've been enjoying around here. There are still plenty of sweet peaches in the market so it's not too late to try some of these yourself. Enjoy!

Monday, August 20, 2012

As you know, we've been enthusiastically celebrating National Peach Month around here. And since we're getting ready to head out on vacation, I planned to give you all a round up and say farewell to the sweet summer peaches. But when I was at the market on Friday the peachy aroma was still calling out to me and I'd kind of wanted to try my hand at making some of the crumb bars I've been seeing all over. So I figured one more peach treat won't hurt.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Continuing our month long obsession with all things peach, today we present this rich, creamy, velvety, decadent...oh, wait...it only tastes like it's those things. In reality, it's skinny, healthy and amazingly refreshing. Made with fresh fruit, fat free yogurt and low fat milk, this smoothie is a serious energy boost and vitamin powerhouse.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Today we take a brief hiatus from our National Peach Month celebrations to inform you that it is National Rum Day. I don't believe it is a federal holiday, although it certainly should be, and I doubt your boss will let you off of work. But that is no reason not to get into the holiday spirit of this...um...spirit! Rum is very tasty when accompanied by some lime and sugar and the occasional piece of fruit. So remember to drink early and often and enjoy the...um...the...er...hmm. I've forgotten what it is we're supposed to be enjoying but this rum drink is deeelicious. Cheers!

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Continuing our love affair with peaches during National Peach Month, we present peach scones recipe round two. What happened to round one, you ask? Well, round one was definitely not blog-worthy. I'd never made peach scones before so I followed someone else's recipe and ended up with scones that were dry, under sweetened (despite using very sweet peaches), contained too little fruit and lacked flavor. They'd looked so fetching in the photo but with so many problems, I decided to scrap the recipe rather than tweak it.

Friday, August 10, 2012

It's no wonder that August is National Peach Month what with all the beautiful specimens I'm finding in the market. Whether I intended to buy peaches or not, the sweet aroma pulls me in as soon as I walk past them. And while I stand there admiring, my mind races with possibilities for what to make. Pies, cakes, cobblers, fruit bars, ice creams, sorbets...I don't know where to begin.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

For years, traditional shepherd's pie, using a basic recipe, was on my regular dinner rotation. It was easy to make, healthy and fairly lean. It was also a great, make-ahead meal on the weekends so that during the week all I had to do was add a salad or quick steamed veggies and dinner was on the table in 20 minutes. But I started to notice that for the past year or so, I wasn't making it. A couple of times I was even planning to make it and, at the last minute, decided to make something else. Somehow I'd fallen out of the mood for this dish. But why?

Friday, August 3, 2012

When cocktail recipes call for flavored liqueurs I typically reach for the actual fruit and make my own puree. In the summer, however, I might reach for sorbet. Frozen cocktails, while refreshing, can be heavy and filling whereas a touch of fruit flavored sorbet can do wonders for a drink.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Today we're starting a new monthly round-up feature. You'll be able to see, at a glance, the recipes that were posted during the previous month and get a recap of any special events, celebrations, holidays, drunken debaucheries...oops! :) Enjoy!

July was a busy month here at the Hungry Couple household. We cooked up lots of great summer food, drank our share of cocktails, guest posted for a friend who was on vacation, had one of our drinks featured in an article, celebrated a birthday and even won a frog naming contest. Whew!